7,000 infiltrators seized over last three months [Archives:2005/837/Local News]

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April 28 2005

In cooperation with coastal guards, the Yemeni security apparatuses seized around 6,900 infiltrators since the beginning of 2005, 1,600 of whom are women and children.

The Jordanian Dustoor Newspaper quoted Yemeni official sources as saying: “Nearly 2,700 infiltrators and illegal residents were caught in the Yemen lands late this month”.

The Website of September 26 run by the Ministry of Defense reported that security sources mentioned more than 95% of those caught in the Yemeni coasts, particularly Shabwa Coast to the south of Yemen, were transported by unidentified boats from the Horn of Africa into the Yemeni lands.

It said around 2675 infiltrators, caught during last March, hold Somali citizenships, and 565 of whom are women and children, in addition to other seven people with different Arab citizenships and 18 Ethiopians.

Infiltrators caught in last March and April numbered up to 4,200 including 1,100 women and children. This brought to over 6 thousand the number of infiltrators and illegal residents seized in the Yemeni lands over the first fourth of 2005.

The sources pointed out that over 6 thousand and 60 of the total number of infiltrators caught in the Yemeni lands hold the Somali citizenship.

The month of March every year witnesses a great influx of refugees infiltrating from the Horn of Africa into Yemen, said an official at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Aden.

He added: “Some 16 boats arrived in the Yemeni coastal lines during last March, and all of them moved from the Somali coasts of Bosaso loaded with nearly 110 people each.

He considered that the average number of refugees on each boat is 95, and that 1,520 is the overall number of refugees reaching the Yemeni coastal areas from Somalia and Ethiopia over the last ten days.

The Ethiopian refugees come second in number, following the Somali ones, however their average is small compared to that of Somalis.

Some 12 Somali refugees were drowned in the southern coasts of Yemen on March 27th, in addition to tens of people, escaping the bad situations in the Horn of Africa, who lose their lives by drowning.

The source confirmed that the Coast Guards were given orders to chase ships and boats that transport infiltrators into Yemen, seize them and transfer their drivers to the concerned authorities to receive sanctions. These efforts aim to put a limit to such a phenomenon, which threatens the social life and the national economy.
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